Team gears up to 'Bike Against Hunger' from Washington State to Washington, DC

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Jun 16, 2014, 05:55 ET

SEATTLE, June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being announced by Rotary International:

WHO: Benjamin Rasmus, RFH program director, and Heather Hoffman, community activist, will pedal 3,500+ miles from Washington State to Washington, DC calling attention to hunger, food waste and gleaning in America.

WHAT: Send the team off and even join them on their first leg as they depart from Pyramid Alehouse across to Safeco Field, down First Avenue South onto the Green River Trail to start their journey. At the event learn more about hunger and food waste in Seattle and how you can participate in sorting produce, preparing dishes or helping a gleaning group gather fresh, healthy fruits.

WHEN: 11 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 18^th (riders depart at 11:30 a.m.)

WHERE: Pyramid Alehouse, Seattle
1201 1^st Ave S, Seattle, Washington 98134

BACKGROUND:
As you may know, the USDA estimates that 40% of the food grown and produced in the US goes to waste. Rotary First Harvest (based in Seattle) works with farmers to "glean" fresh produce that might otherwise go to waste and gets it to food banks. (For example – an apple that is too big/small, or not red enough, might be deemed not "marketable" at a supermarket, and would typically be thrown out. But the apple is still perfectly viable for consumption. Rotary First Harvest works to get this fresh produce to food banks).

In fact, on an average day, Rotary First Harvest will coordinate for tens of thousands of pounds of food to get delivered to food banks (i.e. 60,000 pounds of apples; a 40,000 pound truckload of potatoes, etc.). Rotary First Harvest gets somewhere in the neighborhood of 8-10 million pounds of produce per year for distribution to those in need.

Throughout the bike ride this summer, the team will be visiting farms, gleaning projects, Rotary clubs, food banks and other organizations to start discussions about hunger and food waste. Major stops along the ride include Portland, Boise, Denver, Omaha, Iowa City, Chicago, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh, with a culminating event in Washington, DC.

Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. For more information, visit Rotary.org.

SOURCE Rotary International